CGMA Magazine (06/03/2012) Ken Tysiac

Robert Half’s Professional Employment Report survey of chief financial officers forecasting the third quarter of 2012 reveals that 69% of respondents say it is hard to find skilled accounting and finance professionals, up from 37% in the survey forecasting the second quarter of 2011. About 93% of respondents plan to hold accounting and finance staffing levels steady, up slightly from 91% in the previous quarter. Ryan Sutton, senior vice president for Robert Half’s New England district, says firms unable to recruit accounting and finance staff with the right skills could hire based on other skills and offer on-the-job training. Meanwhile, accounting and finance professionals can improve their job prospects by updating business-systems skills.